Ugh…

SACRAMENTO — People who refuse to obtain health insurance could be tracked down by the state or a private contractor, enrolled in a plan and fined until they pay their premiums under one proposal Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration is considering as part of his vision for covering all Californians. . . .

Other proposals, which Schwarzenegger included in the first draft of his healthcare plan, are to attach the wages of people who don’t buy insurance and to increase the amount they owe in state income taxes.

Kim Belshé, secretary of the state Health and Human Services Agency, emphasized that “nothing is set in stone.” But Schwarzenegger’s call for “shared responsibility” includes a need for everyone to be part of the insurance system, she said.

Of course, a health care system that requires us all to participate also requires all to be responsible for one another’s health decisions.  Even if you’re an eat-right-and-exercise health nut, you’re still gonna feel the financial impact of the McDonald’s guzzling blob down the street when you get your insurance bill.  That’s what happens when we eschew independence and individualism in favor of collectivism.  We all become responsible for each other’s bad decisions, and our society becomes on as strong as our weakest links.

But whatever.  I understand the problem Schwarzenegger is trying to solve.  One big drain on our current health care system, something that drives premiums needlessly high, are the uninsured.  Current law requires all hospitals to provide care to patients whether they have insurance or not.  So what happens is a lot of people (see: illegal immigrants and irresponsible layabouts) simply refuse to pay for health insurance.  When they get sick they go to the hospital, run up a bill, and then refuse to pay it.  The hospital gets stuck with the expense, which it then passes on to the rest of us who actually pay our bills.  What Schwarzenegger wants to do is force these people (at least the ones who are legal citizens) to pay for insurance, thus taking some of the burden of unpaid medical bills off the rest of us.

The intent is good, but the approach is all wrong.  Rather than forcing health insurance on everyone, and undoubtedly spending millions upon millions of tax dollars on tracking down non-compliers, we should simply drop the requirement that hospitals and doctors provide medical care to those without insurance.  Not only would that emphasize more personal responsibility (if you want health care you have to pay for it) it would also save us all those tax dollars we would be spending on making sure people are signed up for insurance.

The problem is that the bleeding hearts in our society can’t handle that level of accountability and personal responsibility.  They insist that we must spend our tax dollars saving people from themselves.

Schwarzenegger’s plan is undoubtedly better than a tax-funded national health care system which would result in nothing but medical service shortages and poor care, but ultimately what we should be looking for is a solution that introduces more market forces into the health care industry.  Rather than relying on employers to provide insurance that covers 99% of their health care costs, citizens need to be made more accountable for their medical bills so that they’ll actually seek out doctors, clinics and hospitals that provide them with adequate care at more reasonable prices.

That’s the only way we’re going to see lower health care prices.